Work Coach Cafe

“S” just wrote to tell us he got the job. Wuhoo! He contacted Work Coach about a week ago, telling us about his job interview. Here’s his letter and my response. Nice to know the ending sometimes, isn’t it?

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Dear Work Coach,

I went for an interview today. It is a job I really want. I have interned at the company for 3 work terms and my references said great things, so my interview was very informal (talked a lot about non-technical soft skills stuff, sports, interests, etc.). Actually, it was more like me asking him a lot of questions and even though he had a script, I don’t think he followed it at all. He wrote down some notes, I caught a glimpse by accident. A lot of positive things written down. It was scheduled for an hour, but went for an hour and a half. I thought things were going great, body language, wording etc. made it seem like he was going to hire me.

However, at the end of the interview he said I was well-spoken, and had a great interview and should be proud. He said “What’s next is I have a tough choice to make” and went on to say he has 3 more candidates left and gave me some details about them. I suddenly got this very bad gut feeling that he was just being very polite to me and did not want to hurt my feelings. Am I thinking too much? He went on to say how life is a big competition and that often times people wonder how a company who needs people so badly still have candidates compete with one another, etc. He also went on to say that he has a good idea as to my character (hopefully positive.)

Most of my interview answers went well. I stumbled a bit but nothing major. I showed a lot of initiative prior to the interview (getting in touch with people from the same team, etc. etc.) and sent a thank you letter post-interview. Everything went as well as possible, but the things he said at the end of the interview really threw me off. Usually after an interview I can tell right away if i got the job or not. But this time, i am getting mixed messages. Unfortunately, this is the job I really want the most. I got offers from less than ideal jobs and will probably reject them regardless.

Any advice?

S

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Hi S!

Hmmm…to me, his comments sound as if he wants you to know it’s NOT a done deal even though they know you and really like you. There is hope though, since he did jot down positive comments and you never know who might come to bat for you – or how the other candidates do. But of course, he might also know of another candidate who is better matched to this specific job or maybe even has an inside edge. No way for you to tell at this point. And no way to tell if the first choice will take it; that also happens sometimes.

Sounds like you’ve done all the right things. I admire that you know what you want and are willing to turn down jobs you don’t want. I just want to mention that sometimes jobs that don’t seem ideal at first can become wonderful stepping stones to what we really want or add to our skills/experience tool set – so at least examine them carefully for potential before rejecting them. But if they feel wrong and you can hold out, you are right to wait for a job that feels right.

I really hope you get a nice surprise and get the offer, but if this particular job doesn’t come through, that doesn’t mean the door is closed to the company. I have a friend who owns a successful law firm with offices in two cities. His motto is “NO can lead to YES.” Since you know folks there, it would be fine to ask if someone (even the boss/interviewer) would be willing to meet with you and offer some advice on how you might still get a permanent job there one day. Mentors are great to have. Maybe there is another job the person might suggest you pursue for now with a certain set of experience that will make you more attractive to them later on. I’ve seen people go that route to get where they want to go. On the other hand, sometimes while pursuing that route, a new exciting opportunity opens up they never imagined!

Further along in your career, I might suggest you do a little more lobbying for yourself, especially considering your relationship with the company. But I think at this point, it might not help and may even bug them.

So for now, just keep your thoughts positive, continue interviewing, and wait to hear from them. Of course a follow up e-mail in 10-14 days if you haven’t heard anything is fine. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Good luck.

Ronnie Ann

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In case you’re curious, skim through the comment section from How to Tell If a Job Interview Went Well to see S’s question and my response.